For a sore and flaky scalp...

I've used several shampoos and conditioners from QVC for a flaky itchy scalp, and Ojon too, and none of these help my sore scalp with hard scabs. What can I use please as I'm unable to afford things that are expensive and don't work?
 
Alison: You've already tried one of our most effective formulas, which is the Philip Kingsley Flaky Itchy Scalp. However, there is one thing that you could do before you may need to consult your doctor.

It is possible to soften actual flakes or increased areas of coarse or thickened skin. Before shampooing, soak the scalp in oil. This could be a pure almond, olive or jojoba oil that you can buy from your chemist or supermarket. The trick would be to massage this into the scalp area, particularly where it's driest, and then try one of the shampoos, such as the Philip Kingsley afterwards.

If this doesn't work then you should show your doctor next time you have an appointment.

On what shampoo to use when swimming...

I was wondering if you could tell me what shampoo to use. I've just started swimming three times a week and I don't want to damage my hair.

Alison: For a start, I'd suggest applying HairFix to your hair once a week to help take any chlorine residue out of your hair.

As your regular shampoo and conditioner, I would recommend using the A'kin Colour Protect Haircare Set to suit your hair colour, as these formulas won't dry your hair out. With this I would also suggest using the A'Kin Hair Therapy Duo which contains a Leave-in Conditioner and a Masque.

Dampen your hair before swimming and apply one of these as a protective agent, as well as using one of them afterwards. This routine should help to prevent your hair from getting so damaged.

For full and conditioned hair...

I'm a 28-year-old Asian girl and over the last year I've lost two thirds of my hair. I have an iron deficiency which is being treated but I would like to know what products to use to make my hair look full and well conditioned.

Alison: I think your hair will really benefit from our Ojon range. I recommend you use the Restorative Hair Treatment and the Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner. Plus, you can also use any of the styling products in this thickening range.
 
Then once a week, I'd like you to use the SWA Hair Ritual kit. In this kit you'll get a hair cleanser, conditioner, leave-in treatment and eight pots of serum. This serum offers you a once-a-week scalp treatment that you put in the hair and scalp and then wash out. It's specifically for hair loss and hair weakness.

You may not even need to re-purchase this Hair Ritual kit, because if you're following your medical advice and this haircare advice, then the condition of your hair and scalp should improve.

View the full Ojon range.

Hair and skincare recommendations for sun protection...

I'm 44, female and I live in the Middle East. What should I use for my dyed hair as it gets very dry and faded with the sun? Also I use a sun cream and have a cleansing routine (Liz Earle) - should I be using anything specific because of the sun?

Alison: I can answer your skincare question straight away with UltraSun SPF 30 Face Cream - use it every day. It won't sweat off and it will give you the SPF 30 protection that you'll need throughout the day. 

In the extreme heat, you won't want to use products with heavy textures. This is because if you do your skin will become quite clammy and you will sweat out any creams you apply. So, you'll be best with hydrating formulas, such as Decleor Hydrafloral. I'd recommend applying your UltraSun on its own during the day as your day cream - though if you do want to add something underneath, choose something light like Prescriptives Super Line Preventor, which is a liquid serum.

On applying Philip Kingsley haircare products...

I just bought the Philip Kingsley Discovery Kit for fine hair (bodybuilding) after reading your advice but I'm unsure how to use the products. I will use the shampoo & conditioner daily but how often do you use the scalp tonic and the elasticizer?

Alison: Here are my step-by-step instructions on how to use each product in the Philip Kingsley Discovery Kit. Use the Elasticiser once a week as a pre-shampoo treatment and leave it on for ideally five minutes, but even up to half an hour or overnight if you wish. The trick with this is not to apply it to soaking wet hair. I tend to stand at the sink, look in the mirror, have the warm tap running or warm water in the sink and just wet my hair with my hands - just dampening it rather than soaking it.

The Elasticiser doesn't work on soaked hair from a shower or a bath. Just run your wet hands through the ends of your hair and then warm the Elasticiser up in your hands, almost like it's a facial moisturiser. You only need to take about a 10p-piece-size maximum. Then smooth most of it on to the dry mid-lengths to ends of your hair, as well as any dry, damaged or coloured areas.

If you want it to be intensive, wrap your hair in cling film or a shower cap after application and you can leave it on while you're watching telly or while you sleep. It doesn't matter how long, as long as it's a minimum of five minutes.

Then shampoo and condition it out, using no more than you would normally use as it isn't difficult to wash out. The Scalp Tonic should then be put on daily to revitalise the scalp area and help improve the look, feel and strength of new hair growth. Drizzle it quickly onto the scalp area, even on clean, blow-dried hair as it doesn't contain oil so it doesn't leave any greasy or oily residue behind.

Apply it in sections - I find it easiest to go from the hair line back over the crown to the back of the neck in lines, about a centimetre or an inch in width. You don't need to blow dry it afterwards and it shouldn't even go down your neck if you drizzle it on quickly.

On how to draw realistic eyebrows...

I have lost my hair - including my eyebrows - as a result of chemotherapy. I'm finding it quite difficult to draw realistic eyebrows and wonder whether Shavata's kits would work for me, or whether they need to be applied to existing eyebrows.

Alison: The Shavata Eyebrow Shaper Kit is great as it offers you different eyebrow shape templates but you may not necessarily get the colour right or the colour might not stay on as long.

If you're good at drawing, an easier option that looks more realistic, where you have absolutely no hair, is the Laura Geller Brow Tint. It comes in a choice of different colours and actually stains the skin so it doesn't rub off. You've got a couple of minutes once you've applied it so you can then remove it with eye make-up remover or cleanser if you get it wrong.

When the hair starts to grow back, the Shavata pencil will work. If you're not good at shaping, get the Shavata kit because the templates give you the shape. When you have no eyebrows and hair, the best shape to go for would be the narrow fine Liz shape. Don't try and shape a thicker or more styled shape as it won't look as natural.

If you're happy to go free-hand, then go with the tint on the skin as this will look even more natural than a pencil or a wax that will sit on the skin more. Remember that even if you have dark hair you don't want to go too strong in colour if there's no real hair to base your colour on.

On a shampoo and conditioner for thinning hair...

Please can you recommend a shampoo and conditioner for thinning hair? I am 43 years old and I'm really worried about hair thinning out especially in the front. Please I will try anything.

Alison: I'd recommend using more than just a shampoo and conditioner. If you're worried about thinning hair, I want you to use the full Philip Kingsley system on your scalp once a week. As hair is already dead, you need to help keep your scalp in good health and focus on this area more.

The kit I would recommend is the Philip Kingsley 5 Piece Discovery Collection. It contains shampoo, conditioner, scalp tonic and elasticiser. Use the Elasticiser on the mid-length of your hair to the ends and then wash your hair with the shampoo for fine and thinning hair. You can choose the right kit for whether you have colour-treated hair or not.

On a daily basis you should also apply the Philip Kingsley Scalp Tonic, irrespective of whether you wash your hair or not. This is all about maintaining the daily health, hydration and pH of your scalp. By using this system, you're giving your hair the optimum scalp health, not just hair thickness.

On what to use between washes for dry hair and scalp...

I suffer from scalp folliculitis which is treated with long courses of antibiotics (I also suffer from Sjogrens sydrome/Lupus which means I am prone to dry skin and hair), but I also had severe breakage of my relaxed Afro-Caribbean hair. I started using Ojon shampoo and conditioner which were great and my hair has started to grow back. The only problem is that between washes my hair and scalp feels dry and I find that many cream products contain water and make my relaxed hair revert, what would you recommend I should use to add moisture to my scalp and hair between washes?

Alison: After following all your medical advice and using all your prescribed products, I have a few recommendations for your beauty regime. Products that can be used between washes are normally water-based because they don't cause greasiness. To apply a moisturising product between washes would normally require you then to wash - which is fine if you want to wash your hair every day.

A daily scalp tonic to relieve itching, soreness and sensitivity that I recommend would be a Philip Kingsley Skin Tonic. They are water based but also contain herbal tinctures, and are specifically designed for itchiness, flakiness and irritability of the scalp. You can literally drizzle this on the whole of the scalp without causing oiliness.

If you still find that, even though it's herbal tincture-based, you're still suffering from dryness on the scalp area, then I’d recommend massaging Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment into the tips of your fingertips and putting it just on the top of the scalp. Try to take this through the hair and make sure you have short fingernails for this or it won't work. Leave it there too but don't put too much on or you will want to wash your hair again.

A great treatment that you can do before washing on a weekly basis, which I'd recommend to you specifically, is massaging your Ojon Restorative Treatment onto the scalp as well as on the hair as this well help to lift off any dead skin there, exfoliating and softening that area before you shampoo and condition.

Please don't use any alcohol-based styling products, because if they touch the scalp area they are just going to dry it out and irritate it. As your hair is chemically relaxed, you shouldn't need to put any styling products on it anyway but be aware that you should use hand-applied products rather than sprays.

Plus, before you go to the salon to get your hair relaxed, you may need to pre-protect the scalp area. Make sure that you apply the Ojon Restorative Treatment to the scalp area 2 - 3 washes before you go to ensure your scalp area is as soft and moisturised as possible - this is because the chemicals used to relax your hair may irritate your scalp. 

For thickening hair...

I am looking for hair products to thicken my hair. Whilst I was pregnant 8 years ago my hair was amazingly thick and long. Once I had the baby, my hair started to fall out in chunks for a year. I've since struggled with my hair, and eventually thanks to my sister giving me extensions helped me get my confidence back. However, my hair is not improving underneath. If I don't get extensions I look as if I have hardly any hair and I am very self conscious. At the moment I have been wearing clip ins which I would prefer to do and try and hope my hair gets better.

Alison: This is exactly what Philip Kinglsey specialises in and he's world-renowned. Philip Kingsley is not a fashion brand as such but he works particularly on scalp and hair-related problems.

Basically, I want to try to give you your own Tricotherapy London appointment at home. Use the Philip Kingsley Elasticiser on your hair and the Philip Kingsley Scalp Mask on your scalp as a pre-shampoo treatment once a week.

Then I recommend using the Philip Kingsley Body Building Kit for Fine & Limp Hair, which involves a shampoo and conditioner. Afterwards spray on Philip Kinglsey Maximiser before you blow dry. On a daily basis, even without washing, massage Philip Kingsley Scalp Tonic into the scalp area to give the hair root the very best chance of growing its best quality hair. This routine will also help to prevent breakages from hair extension clips.

For hair growth on the chin and neck...

What would you recommend for hair growth on the chin and neck?

Alison: This can be a sign of age and hormonal change but it's also worth mentioning to your doctor on your next appointment. From an external point of view, the best thing that we do is the laser hair removal kit. It does take patience and time - it won't give an overnight result - but it is a way of getting permanent hair removal in the privacy of your home without scarring and without making the hair growth worse.

When you do have excessive hair growth areas, if you remove that hair the wrong way you can make it much worse and you can also cause infections on the hair follicles too. Then you may get hair, spots, rashes, infections etc and it becomes even more difficult to tackle. This home removal system and laser hair removal in salons is far more pain-free as compared to electrolysis, which I have experienced myself. Investing in this system is also great value for money as you can use it again and again.

I have a few tips for looking after your skin before and after treatment. Be careful not to sunbathe before or after hair removal. Don't use highly perfumed products, use a gentle anti-septic or soothing skincare wash afterwards - ABC have a great selection. Basically, just treat the area as sensitive.